Charles s



NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES S. LOW, OF LITOI-IFIELD, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR OF ONE-HALF TOTHEODORE BUMANN, OF SAME PLACE.

RAIN-WATER CUT-OFF.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 516,499, dated March13, 1894.

Application filed July 17, 1893. Serial No. 480,724. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES S. Low, of Litchfield, Montgomery county, inthe State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovementsin Rain-Water Out-Offs, of which the following is a full, clear, andexact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to an' improved rainwater cut-off, and consists inthe novel construction, colnbination and arrangement of partshereinafter specified and designated in the claims.

The object of my invention is to provide a cheap, simple, and efficientdevice of this class, which shall produce improved effects.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a cut-oni embodyingmy invention, with the trough in an open position. Fig. 2 is a sectionalside-elevation of same, with the trough shown in a closed position insolid lines and open in dot-ted lines. Y

1 indicates the cut-off chamber, which is preferably circular incross-section, and in the' Walls of which a trough-opening 2 is formedwith vertical edges 3 terminating at their upper ends in vert-ical slotsLand forminga depending projection 5 having a free lower end and curvedto conform to the curve of the wall of said chamber. The trough-openingis provided with a rounded lower end 6 which conforms to the curve ofthe underside of a trough presently described. The slots 4have theirupper ends rounded, to prevent cracking of the metal thereat during use,which might otherwise occur.

7 indicates a trough, semi-circular i-n crosssection to rest in contactwith the rounded lower end of the trough-opening when said trough is inan open position, and it is piv-v otally-mounted in said opening, bymeans of rivets or bolts 8 which are passed through its parallel sidesadjacent the upperedges thereof and through the opposite walls of saidchamber. This trough has a rounded inner end 9, which comes in contactwith and rests beneath a water shed 10 curved to conform to the curvedinner face of said chamber-wall and secured to said Wall by solder orother similar fastening so that the inner edge of said shed will be freeand its body will extend at an angle from said wall above the roundedinner end of said trough, when the trough is in an open position,thereby preventing downward passage of liquid past said end at suchtime.

1l indicates a stiifening-rib made of stout meta-l that is preferablycircularin crosssection, and this rib is curved longitudinally toconform to the curve of the inner surface of said trough, and fixedthereon by means of solder or other fastening so as to extendtransversely of said trough parallel with the adjacent edge of thewater-shed. This rib acts to retain the trough in normal shape abovedescribed, as such trough is made of thin sheet-metal and is devoid ofstiffeningat its ends, and if it was not for such `rib the same wouldnot retain the desired shape, but would soon Hatten out and cause abinding against the opposite edges of the trough-opening in thewall ofthe chamberl, which would greatly interfere with, if not entirelyprevent, the satisfactory operation of the device. The free edges 12 ofthe spout project a distance above the rivets which form the pivotsthereof, and when said trough is closed (as in Fig. 2) said edgesproject or engage in the slots 4 at the upper ends of the edges of saidopening,

and are thereby held securely in position. The upper end 13 of thetrough projectsabove and overlaps the depending projection 5 when saidtrough is in a closed position, said end being cut away at 14 atopposite points to permit such operation. By this construction, thetrough is closed tightly against said projection, and the lower portionof said trough engages with and tits t-ightly against the inner surfaceof the cut off chamber at apoint just beneath the trough openingthereof, thereby preventing all egress of water through said openingwhen said spout is in such closed position.

15 indicates an additional chamber, which is also circular in crosssection, provided with an open upper end 16 and an open lower end 17,and is secured to the chamber 1 by means of connecting-plates 18, sothat both chambers are vertical and parallel. The upper ends of theconnecting-plates are inclined downward and outward corresponding to theinclination of the outer surface of the trough roc when same is in anopen position, and acting as supports therefor when in such position.

19 indicates a trough opening which is formed in the wall of the chamber15 opposite the trough opening in the chamber 1, and it is provided witha rounded lower end 2O which is engaged by the rounded under side ofsaid trough when same is in an open position. The upper end of theopening 19 merges into the open upper end of the chamber l5. Adrain-pipe 21 has its upper end connected to the lower end of thechamber 15.

When it is desired to cut off the water from the discharge end 22 of thechamber l, all that is necessary is to press with the finger upon theexterior surface of the trough at a point below the pivotal pointthereof between the two chambers, and by reason of said pressure thelower end of said trough will be pushed inward, and its upper end acorresponding distance outward, when said upper end may be grasped andthrown downward until the trough rests in contact with the oppositelower end of the opening 19 in the chamber 15, and when in such positionsaid end will project a distance within said chamber l5, and water orother liquid entering the upper end of the chamber l will strike thewater shed therein andthe inner portion of the trough and be therebydeliected outward and iiow through said trough to the adjacent chamber15, and thence to the drain-pipe 2l, which may be led to asewer orotherlocation desired. It will be observed that the trough is pivoted tothe chamber l at a point nearer one end of said trough than the otherend thereof, thereby causing one end of said trough to preponderate inlength and weight exterior of said chamber l when said trough is in anopen position, which causes the same to retain such open positionwithout other fastenings for such purpose.

Then it is desired to permit water to be passed directly through thechamber 1, the trough is placed in the position shown in Fig. 2 in solidlines, thereby leaving a substantially clear passage through saidchamber. In some cases the chamber 15 and the plates which connect it tothe chamber 1, may be dispensed with.4 This may be done when it is notdes ired to connect the trough with the drain pipe, and the device willbe correspondingly reduced in cost.

'What I claim is- 1. The improved water cut-off, having a chamber 1circular in cross-section and provided with an opening 2 which is formedwith vertical edges 3 terminating at their upper ends in vertical slotsL and forming a depending projection 5 having a free lower end andcurved to conform to the curve of the wall of said chamber, said openinghavinga rounded lower end 6, the Lipper ends of said slots beingrounded, a trough 7 semi circular in crosssection and provided with arounded end 10 and pivotally secured to the walls of said chamber sothat its rounded end will engage with the inner surface of said chamberwhen said spout is in an open position and so that the edges thereofwill engage the said slots 4 when said spout is in a closed position,substantially as herein specified.

2. The improved water cutoff, having two chambers circular incross-section and secured parallel with oppositely facing openings eachhaving a rounded lower end, vertical slots 4E formed in the walls of oneof said chambers adjacent the upper end of the opening therein andforming a depending projection 5, a water-shed 10 curved to conform tothe curved inner wall ot' one of said chambers and secured to said wallby solder or other fastening so that one of its edges is free and itsbody extends at an angle, a trough 7 semicircular in cross-section torest in contact with the rounded lower ends of said openings andpivotally mounted in one of said openings, a rounded end 9 formed onsaid trough and which engages with and rests beneath said water-shedwhen said trough is in an open position, a stiffening-rib 11 fixed uponthe inner surface of said trough parallel with the adjacent edge of saidwater-shed, the preponderance of length and weight of said trough beinglocated exterior of the chamber to which the same is pivoted when saidtrough is in an open position, and the upper end of said trough adaptedto overlap said depending projection when the trough is in a closedposition, substantially as herein specified. ln testimony whereof I afhxmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES S. LOW.

Vitnesses:

J. S. WYoKoFF, J. L. Ross.

